Credit: X
Pakistan Chief Selector Wahab Riaz has justified the Non-Objection Certificate issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board to fast bowler Haris Rauf after critising his decision to play in the Big Bash League. Ahead of Pakistan’s Test series in Australia, Rauf opted out of the tour to manage his workload.
Also Read: Andre Russell returns as West Indies name 15-member squad for England T20I series
But now in a recent press conference, Wahab Riaz defended the decision of issuing Rauf a NOC for the Big Bash League in Australia as playing in the tournament would get him ready for the T20 series against New Zealand. He also talked about how Rauf is permitted to complete his contract of five games in Big Bash after which will join the Pakistani squad.
"From now until the New Zealand series, there is a gap of 1.5 months during which Haris Rauf isn't playing any cricket. His contract with Cricket Australia for the Big Bash comprises only 5 games. Considering the thought that there won't be any cricket for 1.5 months and he's a fast bowler, to ensure he maintains his rhythm, we have given him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from December 7th to 28th. This will cover his 5 Big Bash matches so that he can then travel with the Pakistan team for the New Zealand tour. This is the science behind giving him the NOC," Wahab explained.
Notably, Wahab Riaz in a press conference on November 20 claimed the PCB will be following a policy in future where the players preferring to play for the country will be considered for selection. Riaz asserted, "Any player no matter who he is or how big a player is, if he is not giving priority to the Pakistan team then he will not feature in our future plans."
